


A Wait Worth While

by PrincessDianaArtemis



Series: OTP-Tober [19]
Category: Milo Murphy's Law
Genre: Alternate Universe - Diners, Brother-Sister Relationships, Family, First Meetings, M/M, Meet the Family, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Balthazar Cavendish, Oblivious Dakota, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Professors, Sort Of, Waiters & Waitresses, everyone ships it, family business
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:54:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27406888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessDianaArtemis/pseuds/PrincessDianaArtemis
Summary: Dakota is a waitress - "why call me a waiter if the girls get called a waitress" - at a diner. Cavendish is the stuffy professor that comes to take his breakfast - then his lunch - there. Dakota, to everyone’s plight, is more than a little enamoured.
Relationships: Balthazar Cavendish/Vinnie Dakota, Vinnie Dakota & Original Character(s)
Series: OTP-Tober [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948099
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31





	A Wait Worth While

The diner was lively as the sisters ran around and did their jobs, Mama Dakota running things from behind the counter. The usuals were all running into their usual tables and booths and getting the dazzling beams of similar smiles and then the rush as their orders started being filled. 

The Dee’s Diner was a place of comfort and routine, the same people coming every day at the same time, so when there was a newbie there were people that noticed. And that included a lanky and fussy gentleman with papers a plenty and an out of place three-piece suit. 

The girls were all busy with their usuals, so it was up to the backup to come and rescue this man from hunger. 

“Mornin’ and welcome to Dee’s Diner, how can I get you started?”

The fussy man looked up and immediately frowned, “I didn’t know that this place had waiters.”

The waiter in question smiled, crooked and sly, and even his covered eyes demonstrated mischief, “Oh, you came for the pretty girls, did you? Sorry to disappoint, but I’m what you get - and I’m not a waiter, if the girls get called waitresses, I’m a waitress too. Name’s Vinnie.”

“I’m not here for anyone - just a coffee, please,” said the man, blush highlighting the grey of his mustache.

Vinnie made a note on his order pad, “You’re new around here, aren’t ya? What made you come in?”

The still red face turned to the papers scattered around him, “I have all these papers to grade and - and no coffee at home.”

“Right,” said Vinnie. “Be back with that cup before you know it.”

Mama Dakota already had a cup ready when he swung by and she had a little smile on her face that he frowned at, “Thanks, Mama, but what’s with the face?” 

“I know you, Bug, that’s the look of someone who found a new interest. Leave it be, Vin.”

He rolled his eyes, “Okay, Ma, thanks.”

Without another acknowledgement to the sharp, toothy smile, Vinnie swept back to the newcomer, “Here you go. One of Mama’s specialties - an Italian coffee that’ll rise the dead - or at least an overworked Professor.”

The man gave him a smile as he took the mug, fingers brushing, “Thank you, Vinnie.”

“Have you thought of what you wanna eat?”

“No thanks, much too busy to be eating,” he said, taking a sip from the mug without looking away from the pages.

Vinnie tapped his shoulder and was startled by the icy-blue eyes that watched him in return, “No way. I get paid by the amount of food you get - besides you need all the energy and food you can get.”

When the man continued to look confused, Vinnie continued, “Hold on. I know exactly what you should eat. I’ll be back, Mister - ”

“Professor Cavendish - and what if I don’t like it?”

“Trust me,” said Vinnie, eyes sparkling. “You’ll love it.”

-

Thus became the norm.

Professor Cavendish, who Vinnie eventually learned was named Balthazar and was a history professor at the local university, started coming along every day for a cup of coffee and, if it worked out, also a small plate of pancakes. 

Vinnie had made it his priority to serve him every time he came, making the rest of the waitresses start up their teasing the minute they saw the crest of grey hair. Especially as not a day would go by without the man mentioning something about the Professor.

“Did you know that he was going to be a lawyer before he became a professor?”

“It freaks me out how skinny that man is.”

“Why are his eyes so icy?”

“I wonder if I could make him laugh.”

All of the women, from Mama Dakota down to the youngest of the waitstaff were exhausted of the name Cavendish. 

“Mornin’ Cav,” Vinnie said as Cavendish slipped into his booth, “the usual, right?”

A hum was all he got as a response, and a mumbled ‘don’t call me Cav’, and Vinnie, a smile slipping as he went along his way.

“Uh, oh, what’s with that face?” said one of the girls as they saw him hustle over to the coffee pot without his trademark smile.. “Who hurt you and do we have to hurt them?”

“Stop it, Fabi,” he said, pouting. “Just - leave it alone.”

The other girls swarmed, led by Fabiola and they circled him like harpies on a kill. Vinnie wasn’t even aware of the attention they were garnering from his client.

“My dearest, don’t look like that,” said Roxanna, the eldest of the girls. “Such a pretty face like yours shouldn’t even worry about a fuddy-duddy like that. You're gorgeous, funny, and if a grump can’t tell, then what’s the point in paying him any attention.”

The wide eyes of the youngest, Zuleika, looked up at him, “You want us to finish serving the table?”

Vinnie shook his head, ruffling her hair, “No, I’ve gotta finish it for today. Maybe - maybe next time one of you should take it though.”

The girls shared a look and nodded their agreement, Georgette, one of the middle ones, even placing a kiss on his cheek.

“Here’s the coffee, Professor,” said Vinnie, customer service smile back on. “I’ll be back with your pancakes soon.”

“Wait.”

Vinnie turned back and watched as Cavendish played with the handle of his coffee mug, “Do you need anything else?”

Cavendish was hesitant and Vinnie hoped the politeness in his voice didn’t sound as forced as it felt.

“Never mind, Vinnie. Thank you.”

A sigh, “Of course, sir.”

-

The breakfast bunch had tapered off and the diner prepared for the lunch rush. Vinnie had taken over the till from Roxie when a sharp gasp brought his attention towards little Zuli who shot him a look before looking at the door. When he followed her gaze, his heart stuttered. 

Cavendish walked in, looking sullen and a little lost as he slinked over to his usual seat. The girls all looked at Vinnie, then, without a second thought and looking like fire on her heels it was Gloria, one of the youngests, that stepped up to the table. 

“Afternoon, sir, what can I get you?” she said, voice crisp and polite.

He frowned, glancing around her at where Vinnie stood ringing up bills, “Oh, um - just a salad, I suppose - and a coffee.”

Gloria glanced him up and down and jotted down his order, “Anything else? Because you seem to be sizing another order up?”

A bright red flushed Cavendish’s cheeks, “N-no, that’ll be all for now, thank you.”

She gave a little interested hum and turned around, ponytailed hair swinging as she headed towards the counter.

“You gon’ be able to stay here while your grumpy Professor is sitting there?”

“Yes, Glo, I’ll be okay, get him his order,” he said, groaning as Gloria pulled down his button-up to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Gross, Glo.”

Gloria laughed, “I love you, too.”

There was a strangled little sound from within the diner, but it wasn’t identifiable when they turned around. Gloria and Vinnie shared a look and a laugh before she was off again with the mug of coffee. 

As Cavendish finished his meal and put down his fork, he shot a look over to the till once again. The waitress - his usual - had been avoiding his gaze. Everytime he glanced over, he was turned around talking to the owner or distracted with one of the many other waitresses that swung around to tease and press kisses on his face.

There was an unwelcome twisting in his stomach as he looked at the group of them, swarming around him like he was an Adonis among men and he bashfully soaked it up and ignored the ice blue gaze on him.

His waitress - Gloria, if he remembered correctly - halted his train of thought as she arrived at his side, “Anything for dessert?”

Cavendish’s eyes wandered again towards the till, staring for a moment until the little ‘ah’ of Gloria brought his face back up towards hers, face red.

“I - what do you suggest?”

She held back giggles, “I don’t think I’m allowed to offer you what I suggest but - how about some pie? Mama makes the best apple.”

“Mama? Is that just a name?”

An ‘o’ replaced the ‘ah’ on her mouth, “You didn’t know? We’re all sisters - from Roxie down to Zuleika. So you want the slice of pie or not?”

He nodded, silent, and watched as she left with a new little bounce to her step. He looked at her and then around at the other women serving various tables along the area. All of them had the same light brown skin and curls and wondered how he’d missed something so obvious.

Then as his eyes slid over to where Gloria was now animatedly whispering at Vinnie, he remembered exactly why. Cavendish, feeling old and foolish for even noticing the way the crowd treated the man, turned back to the book that lay useless at his side, reading snippets that he didn’t process.

As the plate of apple pie thumped onto the table, Cavendish glanced up, expecting to see Gloria’s curious and judgemental look, but instead finding the curious and mismatched - _ heterochromia  _ \- eyes of Vinnie looking down at him.

“Oh, Vinnie, I - ”

“I didn’t tell you anything about myself, did I?” said Vinnie, a quiet voice in comparison to his usual boisterous ring. “I’m Vincent Dakota, son of the owner Valeria Dakota or Mama Dakota. My sisters and I are the waitstaff because this is a family owned business and - and I’ve been embarrassing myself trying to get you to even talk to me.”

Cavendish was quiet, watching as the man ran a hand through his curls - curls he immediately knew to be like Claudia’s - and then down at the pie before him.

“Funny,” said Cavendish, picking up his fork and slicing off a piece. “I’ve been coming to a diner for the past few weeks just because I liked the conversation of a waitress. I frankly thought it was me who was embarrassing myself.”

Vinnie blinked, “Oh.”

“So, if you’re not busy this weekend, how would you like to - ”

“Yes.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“Doesn’t matter. Yes.”

“Would you help me commit a murder, Vinnie?”

The waitress’ lips twitched up, “Absolutely. Heavens knows you’ll need an alibi and maybe a getaway driver and I know you’re clumsy so someone to get you back on your feet - but yes, Cav, whatever you want to do this weekend my answer is yes.”

Cavendish’s mustache twitched with his smile. 

“Right - but can we keep your sisters away? They terrify me.”


End file.
